Catechetical sermons preached in PCC Evening Worship Services, Feb 2013 to Dec 2017
WSC 83-84 of 107
“20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee” (Matthew 11:20-24).
WSC 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.1
1 Ezk 8:6, 13, 15; 1 Jn 5:16; Ps 78:17, 32, 56
WSC 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.1
1 Eph 5:6; Gal 3:10; Lam. 3:39; Mt 25:41
Neal, Chad, and Felix have been good friends for some years since they started working in the same IT setup. They all profess to be Christian. It is tea break, and they are sitting around the table in the pantry enjoying coffee and doughnuts. A lively banter ensues.
- Felix: Hey Neal, I have been wanting to ask you… why did you lie to your mum about where you were last night?
- Neal: Oh, it’s nothing. I just didn’t want her to worry.
- Chad: Give him a break, Fe. It was no big deal. No harm done. You are always so judgemental.
- Felix: Well, I just think we should always be honest. Besides, it’s a sin to tell lies.
- Neal: Hey, I know lying is a sin, OK? But I just don’t think God cares about such small lies. Lies that hurt people, yes, but lies for the sake of peace at home… I think God will understand.
- Chad: Amen!
- Felix: How can you say that? In God’s eye, every sin, big or small, is the same. Every sin deserves hell.
- Chad: Do you really believe that? Your understanding of God is very harsh. You ever heard of venial and mortal sins? Small sins are venial sins. They can be burned off in purgatory…
- Neal: Come on, Chad, purgatory is a myth. We don’t have to go there. God is very gracious, he will just overlook all the minor sins. No need for purgatory.
- Felix: No, no; I don’t believe in purgatory, but sin is sin. Whether it is a lie or a murder, it is the same in God’s eyes.
- Neal: You can’t be serious! You make it sound like I stabbed my mother.
- Felix: I think it makes no difference to God whether you lied to her or stabbed her…
What do you think? Who is right? Is it Felix, Neal or Chad? As you may have guessed, Chad is a Roman Catholic. Neal is a typical nominal Christian. Felix comes from a fundamentalistic church.
Who is right? Who is wrong? Well, they are all wrong at some point.
What do we believe? We believe that “every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come,” as our Shorter Catechism, question 84, teaches. Purgatory is indeed a myth. The distinction between venial and mortal sin is also man-made. However, we do not believe that every sin is equal in God’s sight.
Look at WSC 83: “Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?”
Answer:
“Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.”
Where do we see this doctrine in Scripture? Well, it is seen in several places in Scripture. But for our purpose, we want to consider the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum recorded in Matthew 11:20-24.
Let’s do so under three heads: (1) Background, (2) Doctrine, and (3) Applications.
Background
In the context, John the Baptist is in prison, and he sends two of his disciples to the Lord to confirm that He is indeed the Christ. The Lord sends a word of encouragement and then graciously commends John and his ministry.
But in doing so, he laments that the people are so hardened in their hearts that they are apathetic to the gospel. John and the Lord played the pipe for them, and they would not dance. They sang a dirge, and they would not lament. The people are only interested in making sarcastic remarks. John is known to hardly eat or drink, and they say he has a devil. The Lord ate and drank when invited, and the people say He is a friend of sinners and publicans. Instead of listening to the word and judging themselves, they delight in judging the preachers.
In the wake of this consideration, the Lord begins to talk about the cities where most of His mighty works were done. What does He say about them? Well, He begins to upbraid, scold or denounce them for their refusal to repent.
He mentions Chorazin and Bethsaida. We don’t know what miracles He did in Chorazin as they are not recorded. But Bethsaida was where the Lord fed the five thousand men besides women and children with five loaves and two fishes (Lk 9:10ff). And this was where He healed two blind men (Mk 8:22ff). No doubt, He did many other miracles there. No doubt, He preached in these two places, too. But the people remained unrepentant.
The Lord pronounces a woe upon them. Woe is the opposite of blessing. Instead of being blessed, the cities are in a woeful state. They are worse off compared to the pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon:
“Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you” (Mt 11:21-22).
Had Tyre and Sidon the privilege of hearing the gospel and seeing the miracles of the Lord, as Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Therefore, says the Lord, it would be more tolerable for them at the judgement than for Chorazin and Bethsaida.
Then the Lord turns His attention to Capernaum: “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell…” (v. 23a).
The Lord is obviously employing hyperbole by saying that Capernaum is exalted to heaven. This was a city of great privileges. It was prosperous and wealthy. But most of all, this is where the Lord did many miracles. His fourth recorded miracle, that of casting out an unclean spirit in a synagogue, was done there (Mk 1:21ff). Then He healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mk 1:33). Likewise, it was here that the Lord healed a man lowered upon a stretcher before Him (Mk 2:1ff) and restored the servant of the centurion (Lk 7:1ff).
It was here that much of our Lord’s sermons were preached. But there was little impact upon the lives of the people who observed all these miracles and heard Him preach. So the Lord pronounces a similar woe, verse 23:
“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
The people in Capernaum had extraordinary privileges. They saw the Lord’s miracles. They heard His preaching. But they remain unmoved. It is an extraordinary hardness perhaps fuelled by their complacency and self-righteousness.
What a contrast with the notorious Sodom. We really don’t know much about Sodom except for the grotesque wickedness of the people, which brought upon them a very severe judgement from God. It was probably quite a prosperous city, for that was what drew Lot towards it in the first place. But it was morally decadent. There could not be found ten, nay, five righteous persons in the city, and the Lord had to destroy it with fire and brimstone.
But the Lord Jesus is telling us that had the city been given the privilege of seeing His miracles and hearing His sermons as the people in Capernaum had, they would have repented and remained a godly city until the time of the Lord!
So the Lord pronounces the same judgement upon Capernaum as He did for Chorazin and Bethsaida, verse 24:
“But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
What a terrifying pronouncement! Capernaum had outdone Sodom and would be judged worse than them. It is one thing to be compared with Tyre and Sidon; it is quite another to be compared to Sodom, for no city apart from Gomorrah is regarded as so wicked and deserving of hell as Sodom. And Capernaum had outdone Sodom!
But what is the implication of the Lord’s word?
Doctrine
We may draw three doctrinal principles.
a. First, we must see from here that “some sins in themselves are more heinous than others.”
We know this by common sense. Murder is more severe than adultery. Adultery is more serious than theft. Theft is more serious than deceit.
But how do we see that in our text? We see that from the simple fact that the Lord is comparing Capernaum with Sodom. Why is Sodom chosen? Because Sodom represents the city which was most severely judged by the Lord. Why? There were many wicked cities in Ancient times. Why Sodom? Because it was filled with murder and homosexuality. Look at what the Lord said when he spoke to Abraham about his intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 18:20:
“And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now…”
Clearly, the LORD regarded the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as more grievous or more heinous than the sin of the surrounding cities.
Were it not for the privilege that Capernaum enjoyed because of the Lord’s ministry, Capernaum would be a respectable city compared to Sodom. They were as worldly as Sodom was. They would have been as immoral as Sodom was. But they were not known to be as overtly and pervasively wicked as Sodom.
So here’s the first principle: “Some sins in themselves are more heinous than others.”
b. Secondly, we see from our text that there are different degrees of punishment in hell. Some think the Lord is speaking about temporal judgment upon the city. But clearly, He is talking about a future judgement, for He says, “It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement.” Sodom as a land is no more. But the souls that lived in Sodom remained and will face God’s eternal judgement in hell. The Lord is saying that the unbelievers in Capernaum will suffer more than the unbelievers in Sodom!
In other words, while all sins deserve God’s wrath and curse, some will be punished more severely, for they are more heinous than others.
But why? Why should Capernaum suffer more than Sodom when Sodom was such a wicked people? The answer, no doubt, is the great privilege that Capernaum enjoyed compared to Sodom.
c. Thus, our third principle is that the greater the privilege and knowledge, the more heinous the sin. The sin of unbelief of Capernaum is aggravated by the privilege they enjoyed to an extent that it is more wicked than the sin of Sodom.
This agrees with what the Lord says in Luke 12:47-48:
“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
The two servants both deserve stripes. But one deserves more. Why? Because his disobedience is aggravated by his knowledge of his master’s will.
Sodom and Capernaum deserve hell. Had the Lord not done what He did in Capernaum, Sodom would occupy the deeper and hotter part of hell. But because of what the Lord did in Capernaum, their sin is aggravated. They would be cast deeper than Sodom in hell.
Our Catechism is teaching us this same doctrine:
“WSC 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.”
Application
Consider three applications:
a. First, do not assume that committing smaller sins is all right. Remember our Catechism, Question 84: “Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.”
Indeed, let us note that what we may regard as a minor sin may, in fact, be a heinous sin in God’s sight. Let me ask, for example, which is more heinous: breaking the Sabbath or stealing something. Biblically, the answer is obvious: Under the Old Testament civil law, the severest punishment for Sabbath-breaking is death, whereas the sternest punishment for theft is a fourfold restitution. What about idolatry versus adultery? People think that adultery is more serious than idolatry, but idolatry is spiritual adultery. Indeed, if the way that the Sixth to Tenth Commandments are ordered is anything to go by, then we can infer that in God’s eyes, sin against the First Commandment is more heinous than sin against the Second Commandment; and all sin against the First Table of the Commandments is more heinous compared to sin against the Second Table. This is one of the reasons Capernaum outdid Sodom. Sodom was breaking the Second Table most grievously. They were, of course, breaking the First Table, but not much more than the other nations. Capernaum, on the other hand, was breaking the First Table grievously by unbelief because they were being taught by the Lord. They were wilfully breaking the First Table.
Therefore, when an unbeliever thinks he is not as bad as a murderer, adulterer, or thief, his thinking is really wrongheaded, for every day he refuses to worship the living and true God, he is committing the most heinous sin.
Are you still an unbeliever? Remember that God is gracious, but He is a holy God, and every sin, no matter how small, deserves His wrath and curse, both in this life and in the life to come.
b. So, secondly, may I call upon all to seek the Lord earnestly? I speak to you, especially covenant children. You have great privileges, but because of your great privileges, you have great responsibilities. It will, as such, be worse off for you if you remain in unbelief compared to another person in the world who has never had the opportunity to hear the gospel.
Jonathan Edwards, expounding on the exact text which we are considering, is undoubtedly right to remind us that the deepest parts of hell are reserved for covenant children who remain in unbelief. If it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for Capernaum, it will be more tolerable for Capernaum than for covenant children who live under the gospel light of the risen Lord yet remain hardened in unbelief.
Therefore, repent your sin and believe in Christ as your Saviour. Do not delay, for now is the day of salvation.
The Lord Jesus says:
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”
Lk 13:24
You will not be able, in your own strength, to enter in at the strait gate. But unless you seek sincerely and cry out to the Lord, you will unlikely experience His power to translate you into God’s kingdom.
Oh, do not think it is a small sin to neglect reading your Bible or praying. It is already a great sin for those who are outside the covenant to neglect God’s word. How much more will it be for you, who are a child of the covenant? It is already a great sin for an unbeliever to despise the privilege of public worship on the Sabbath. How much more it will be for you?
Therefore, tempt not the Lord. Seek Him with what strength you have so that peradventure he may grant you repentance and true saving faith. Don’t sit idle. You will perish if you do nothing and allow yourself to drift along in unbelief. But if you seek to use the means of grace, even if you do it for the wrong reasons at first, you will have your sin mitigated, and you will peradventure find salvation in the Lord.
c. But finally, I would speak to those of us in authority and position of influence. Let us remember that knowledge, privilege and honour come with responsibility. I speak to teachers, parents, employers and office bearers. It is one thing for a child who is ignorant to break God’s commandments, whether by omission or commission. It is quite another for someone who ought to know and is in a position of responsibility.
If a church fails to keep the Sabbath because the pastors and elders fail to emphasise it, the blood is on their heads. If a family fails to keep the Sabbath despite being taught in the church, then the blood is upon the head of the father if he does not try to get everyone to delight in the Sabbath. But if he has tried, the blood is upon the family members who refuse to obey.
This is a corollary to what we are talking about today. A child belonging to a family whose head of household makes no effort to steer the family in the way of the Lord will be guilty of walking in worldly ways, but not as guilty as a child whose parents try lovingly to do so.
These are the implications of the doctrine emerging from our text and set forth in our catechism:
“WSC 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
WSC 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.”
Does this doctrine leave you depressed and burdened because of your sin? There is hope for you. The text we have been considering contains some of the hardest and harshest things said by our Saviour. But rest assured that He is not unaware of how His own elect will feel upon hearing these things. Others may be careless. But His elect will be smitten in the conscience, deeply burdened and helpless as they feel the weight of the severity of their sin.
But it is precisely because of this that there is hope, for He came to save sinners. Therefore, His arms are lovingly open to every weeping heart. Therefore, He says at the end of this chapter:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).
Mt 11:28-30
Amen.
—JJ Lim